Join us on May 30th for an artist talk with Faisa Omer and Siham Salah. Learn more about their practices and the origin and importance of their collaboration to amplify Somali voices in the diaspora. This talk will also feature a special poetry reading by Yusra Ali, a dedicated Nursing student at the University of Alberta. She is also an accomplished poet, winning regional competitions in Edmonton and the prestigious "People's Choice" award at the national Poetry Voice contest in 2022. Her deep passion for nursing and poetry is rooted in her cultural heritage and Muslim identity. Yusra's primary mission is to raise awareness about critical issues within her black-Muslim community while empowering those she serves.
Faisa Omer is a Somali Canadian studio photographer whose work has been featured in prominent institutions such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Faisa honed her technical expertise in studio photography at the Algonquin College Photography Program. Her unique artistic perspective is enriched by her extensive academic and professional background, including a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Mental Health, a Master’s in Neuroscience, and a second Master’s in Counseling Psychology. In addition to her artistic practice, Faisa serves as a Mental Health Counsellor at Carleton University, where she continues to integrate her diverse expertise into her creative endeavors.
Siham Salah is a self-taught, Edmonton-based landscape artist who works primarily with water-mixable oil colors and gouache paint. A principal theme in Siham’s work is the expression of time through the changing seasons, capturing warmth as landscapes transform from dawn to dusk. Her growing body of work features an array of city skylines, forest fields, and mountain cliffs, enhanced by a serene quality of selective tones. In addition to her artistic practice, Siham holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from MacEwan University and currently works as a software developer in Edmonton. Her dual passions for visual design and technology inform both her artwork and her professional life. When not painting, Siham enjoys developing websites, drinking tea, and watching period dramas.